Starkville developments earn statewide acclaim

January 6, 2013

Tabor Construction and Development president and CEO Jeremy Tabor, left, and TCD founder Larry Tabor pose with awards won from the Home Builders Association of Mississippi in November in a sample dwelling at the The Lofts Condominiums, which won Jeremy Tabor the â€śBest Commercial Building Renovationâ€ť award. (Photo by Steven Nalley, SDN)

The Home Builders Association of Mississippi named four Starkville developments winners of its eighteenth annual Best in Mississippi Awards in November, including three projects from Tabor Construction and Development and one project from Maison De Ville Association President John Hartlein of Jackson.

Jeremy Tabor, TCD president and CEO, won HBAMs â€śBest Multi-Family Renovation Under 50 Unitsâ€ť award for The Lofts Condominiums and the â€śBest Commercial Building Renovationâ€ť award for The Lofts Office Suites, both located in Starkvilleâ€™s Central Station. Jeremy Tabor and TCD founder Larry Tabor also received a joint award for the â€śBest Multi-Family Renovation with More than 50 Unitsâ€ť for University Club Condominiums. Finally, Hartlein received the â€śBest Single Family New Construction Spec Home Less than 1,800 Square Feetâ€ť award for the Chaney Paschal residence in the Maison de Ville Garden Homes community.

All three Tabor projects were renovations of existing properties, with the two Lofts projects coming from the second renovation phase of the former Borden Dairy condensed milk plant. Jeremy Tabor said there are significant differences between renovating an existing building and constructing a new one from scratch.

â€śThe evaluation process is totally different. For the Borden plant to have been here since 1926, the biggest concern we had was making sure the structural components were intact and could last another 100 years,â€ť Jeremy Tabor said. â€śThe way they did things in 1926 would not be permissible building something today.â€ť

Larry Tabor said TCD chose to renovate the 100 hotel rooms of the former University Inn because he saw a need for 52 reasonably priced one-bedroom condominiums close to Mississippi State University. The result has exceeded expectations, he said, as 40 percent of University Club Condominiumsâ€™ units were sold this past year.

â€śThere is nothing more gratifying than remodeling an old blighted building into something that is new, appealing to the eye, and an asset to the community,â€ť Larry Tabor said. â€śThe awards given by (our) peers in the building industry are quite an honor, considering they are statewide.â€ť

Hartlein said Maison de Ville emulates French Acadian architecture from Louisiana, with granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, bamboo hardwood floors and berber carpet. Maison de Ville is a gated community with security cameras, he said, and it offers a maintenance-free experience.

â€śAll your yard work on the site is maintained. Thereâ€™s no need to mow your grass or maintain your shrubbery,â€ť Hartlein said. â€śItâ€™s a niche development, and basically, I felt like there was a market that wasnâ€™t being served â€” a permanent and second-home residence (market). Probably half the people that (have bought Maison de Ville properties) are permanent residents; the other half buy (them) for second homes in Starkville.â€ť

Hartlein said this is the third award he has received from HBAM, including one â€śSubdivision Development of the Yearâ€ť award in 2009 for Maison de Ville as a whole. He said Maison de Ville is currently in its second phase of development, with eight lots remaining to sell.
â€śItâ€™s nice to be recognized for your work and effort,â€ť Hartlein said. â€śIâ€™m proud of the subdivision. Iâ€™m glad itâ€™s been accepted and successful. I look forward to being involved in other developments in Starkville in the coming years.â€ť

Meanwhile, TCD has won a total of 12 Best in Mississippi awards now, and Jeremy Tabor said he, too, was grateful for the recognition.

â€śIn my opinion, itâ€™s one of the most appreciated recognitions, because youâ€™re being evaluated with peers in your own business,â€ť Jeremy Tabor said. â€ś(Our projects are) being compared to all the other similar projects in the state, so being at the top is very fulfilling.â€ť